Beef & beer stew is a warm and filling meal with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, root vegetables and a strong, stout beer. A hearty and satisfying dish that is great served with some warm fresh bread and a cool crisp side salad.
Beef and beer – a classic pairing. Two great tastes that taste great cooked together and are made even better by the slow and low cooking that is best handled by your crockpot. Some might refer to this as Irish stew (although traditional Irish stew is made with mutton, not beef). Whatever you want to call it, it is a slow cooker must. It is warm, filling and satisfying on St Patty’s day and any other day you choose to serve it!
How To Make Beef & Stout Stew
Ingredients
To make this delicious and easy stew you will need:
- stew beef, cubed
- potatoes
- carrots
- celery
- onion
- Worcestershire Sauce
- fresh thyme
- garlic
- rosemary
- beef broth
- stout beer
- bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- instant mashed potato flakes (optional)
Assembling Ingredients
This amazing stew is a dump and go classic! Start by adding beef to your slow cooker. Any stew meat will do here. The long cooking time and the beer will both serve to tenderize your meat. Being lazy, I prefer to purchase stew meat that is already cut into chunks. If you would rather cut your own, chuck roast is a great choice.
Next, add all vegetables, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic and rosemary to slow cooker. Broth and beer will follow. Stir all ingredients to combine. Bay leaves are added last and can be placed right on top, Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours (I aim for 10 when possible).
Finishing
When you are ready to serve your stew, first remove the bay leaves, Then stir all ingredients again. You will want to taste your stew at this point so that you can add salt and/or pepper based on your preferences. You can also adjust the consistency. If you want to thicken the stew, add one tablespoon of instant mashed potato flakes to your slow cooker and stir. if it is still not thick enough for your liking, continue to add potato flakes, one tablespoon at a time, stirring in between until desired consistency is achieved.
Ways To Serve Crockpot Beef Stew
It is best to serve stew in a bowl with both a spoon and fork to make sure you don’t miss a drop of the deliciousness. A thick piece of crusty bread is a great accompaniment and can be used to dip into the sauce or to absorb whatever sauce may be left in your bowl at the end. While the ingredients in this stew really make it a full meal on its own, a crisp side salad or some raw veggie sticks can make a great sidekick for your stew. Thin, crispy breadsticks are a great add-on as well.
How To Store Leftovers
Leftover stew can be stored in airtight bags or containers. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. This recipe also freezes really well and will last frozen for about 3 months, according to the FDA. This is a great dish to store in meal sized portions for easy reheat-and-eat meals. It re-heats very well in the microwave.
Beef & Beer Stew Hints & Hacks
- This stew recipe calls for mini potatoes. I am often too lazy to cut up potatoes and this solves my problem. However, this recipe would work just as well with diced larger potatoes.
- I am a fan of buying minced garlic by the jar. I prefer Spice World. Of course, fresh minced garlic would be a delicious upgrade to this recipe.
- If you don’t feel the gravy created by this dish is thick enough, the easiest way to thicken it up is to add mashed potato flakes. At the end of the cooking process, I add potato flakes one tablespoon at a time right into the pot until the gravy is the consistency I am looking for.
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. This is, of course, an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price. Here are the liners I buy.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after.
- This is a great dish if your people will be eating at different times. After the cooking time, turn your slow cooker to low and everyone can have a warm and filling meal, no matter what time they are ready to eat.
- While any brand of stout beer will do, Guinness is always a great choice.
Lazy Slow Cooker Irish Stew Recipe
Equipment
- 6 qt or larger slow cooker
- measuring spoons and cups
- Mixing Spoon
- Knife and cutting board
- slow cooker liner (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs stew beef, cubed
- 1.5 lbs potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 cups carrots, cut in 1" chunks
- 1 cup celery, cut in 1" chunks
- 1 cups onion, cut in 1" chunks
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped can substitute with 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bottle extra stout beer (1 bottle less one siip if you aren't going anywhere)
- 3 cups beef broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- instant mashed potato flakes (optional)
Instructions
- place liner in slow cooker, if using
- add beef, potatoes, vegetables, and all spices except bay leaves to slow cooker
- add broth and stout beer and stir to combine
- gently place bay leaves on top of mixture
- cover and cook on low for about 10 hours (anywhere from 8 – 12 works)
- after cooking, remove bay leaves and discard
- stir stew and add salt and /or pepper to taste
- Optional step: To thicken stew – add one tablespoon of instant mashed potato flakes to your slow cooker, stir and check. You can continue to add potato flakes, stirring in one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
- serve and enjoy!
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If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts! 
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